The Nourish Co.

The Nourish Co.

36 St. John's Street, Colchester, CO2 7AD

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/thenourishco
Website: http://www.thenourishco.co.uk

It's only been 7 months since Colchester got its first fully fledged vegan cafe in the form of 'The Den at Twenty Three', and now the ever-growing vegan community of North Essex is to be treated to a brand new eatery!

The Nourish Co. is marketing itself as an 'Eco-Takeaway'. Think raw cakes, tasty whole food lunches, and lots of healthy snacks; all served with a smile. 

We popped by on their opening day and tried their freshly baked Mushroom and Lentil Sausage Roll with a Raw Chocolate Brownie afterwards, both of which were very tasty. 

The shop itself, though small, has been used to its full potential, with a breakfast bar overlooking the street and small table area for anybody who wants to sit in. Not necessarily a place you'd meet a friend for lunch due to the limited space, but perfect for those short lunch breaks or when passing through town and in need of a bite to eat.

How great it is to have even more choice in the town, and this can only be a good thing for making veganism more accessible. 

We're excited to watch the company grow and continue to spread their message of 'kind and conscious eating', and can't wait to try lots more of their wholesome, yummy food!

Be sure to drop in next time you need a quick snack on the go.

El Guaca

El Guaca

118 High Street, Colchester CO1 1SZ

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/El-Guaca/596443153832024?fref=ts

Website: http://www.elguaca.co.uk/colchester/

The Restaurant

Having established themselves in Maldon and Clacton, the Mexican restaurant 'El Guaca' has now arrived in Colchester.

I was intrigued as to what options they might have for vegans as there didn’t seem to be anything explicitly on the menu that was vegan-friendly, so I dropped them an Email, getting a very helpful reply outlining the dishes which could be made vegan, and how to adapt them. So on Tuesday night I went along to give the restaurant a try.

Sizzling Fajita

I decided to opt for the Sizzling Mushroom and Courgette Fajita (without the jack cheese or sour cream) and sizzling it was. If anyone ever tries to claim vegan food is boring then this dish is here to prove otherwise. The sizzling courgettes and mushrooms came on a bed of sautéed peppers and onions, with pico de gallo and home-made (vegan) guacamole on the side, with a bowl of warm flour tortillas ready to be filled with all the tasty filling.

The staff were very attentive, friendly and helpful, and portions rather generous (though on the pricier side of things).  Unfortunately, as is often the case, the dessert menu was lacking in a vegan option, and perhaps this is something the restaurant could look to change in the near future.

If you want to make the experience a tad more authentic then ask a member of staff for a sombrero, and they’ll happily oblige!

It’s always great to see more local businesses thriving alongside the huge chains, so I highly recommend dropping in to El Guaca. Below were the other vegan adapted options that are available, as always be sure to check anything with the staff for peace of mind. Let us know your experiences and if anything needs changing or updating from the menu.

Main Menu: http://www.elguaca.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Main_Menu.pdf

Appetisers

Nachos (without cheese) with Guacamole, Pico De Gallo or Chilli Sauce

Vegetarian Tacos (i.e. with no meat fillings)

Mains

Sizzling Fajita- Courgette and Mushroom (without cheese/sour cream)

Burrito/ChimiChanga/Enchilada with Vegetarian Bean Chilli (without cheese/sour cream)

The Den at Twenty Three / The Den at 23

23 Crouch Street

Colchester

CO33EN

www.facebook.com/thedenattwentythree

@theden_at23

www.thedenattwentythree.co.uk

Mon 12pm-4pm

Tue-Sat 10pm-4pm

Closed Sunday

INVmay.pdf

"The Den at 23" opened in March 2015, and is Colchester's first cafe to offer an entirely vegan friendly menu!
It is run by Jennifer Dunn of vegan cake company "p.s..it's vegan!", and her husband Robert.

The Den sells breakfasts (such as sausage sandwiches and sausage tofu breakfast muffins), lunches such as burgers and toasted paninis, and sweet options such as cupcakes and waffles with ice cream.

Teas and coffees and hot chocolates are served with a choice of soya, almond or coconut milk, and can be topped with soya whipped cream (and vegan marshmallows!)